Raven support

The crowdfunder for a legal challenge of SNH’s licensing of a Raven cull has made great progress – over 16,000 pounds and counting. I donated to this crowdfunder on its first day and I’d really like it to meet its target of 25k.  So I’ve gone back and given it a top-up from me. Can you help…

Tim Melling – Sparrowhawk

  Tim writes: I was driving in South Yorkshire back in February when I spotted this female Sparrowhawk dispatching a Woodpigeon. I pulled in the car just beyond and leaned out of the window to photograph the encounter. Believe it or not a Woodpigeon weighs about 450g whereas a female Sparrowhawk weighs just 260g (and…

Guest blog – UK Swift Awareness Week 16th-23rd June by Dick Newell

Lifetime bird watcher and over 60 years an RSPB member, Dick Newell, retired from the software industry, now devotes time to devising ways to help Swifts, which led recently to the BTO giving a Marsh Award for Innovative Ornithology to Action for Swifts.  actionforswifts.blogspot.com documents a large number of case studies, designs and ideas. Dick…

Wild Food (37) – Pignut by Ian Carter

Pignuts are umbellifers (in the carrot family) and are like miniature versions of the more familiar Cow Parsley. To help confirm the identification, look closely at the finely divided leaves, especially those towards the base of the plant. If you grow your own carrots you may notice the similarity in leaf structure. In favoured meadows…